Thursday, 23 June 2016

Five of us met in Largs on a breezy,
overcast morning for our crossing to Cumbrae. We were pleasantly surprised to
see that the ticket office had been given a makeover and that the ticket was
£3.20. Somehow we thought that it had been more expensive in the past.

The route was the tried and trusted
one i.e. up to the Glaid Stone, down in to Millport and then back up the west
of the island to the ferry. As we passed the water sports centre it began to
drizzle and continued to do so for about ten minutes. Just as we considered wet
weather gear, the rain abated and it was to remain dry for the rest of the day.
Coffee was taken not at the Glaid Stone but at the wee picnic area at the side
of the road just below the summit. The reason was simple for this break in
tradition, it was too breezy at the top to enjoy our break comfortably. On the
way down to Millport Rex and Gus were in front of the rest, too far in front
for the back three (definitely not a flat back four) to get their attention to
say they were going to pop into the Cathedral for a look. We’ve seen it before,
at least some of us have, but it was certainly worth the effort.As we walked through the town we
commented on how quiet it was for a late June day and wondered how the traders
survived. It was warming up nicely by now, so we broke another tradition and
stopped for lunch at the benches in the wee cove just by the Police Station.
Here we not only enjoyed our pieces but also the lapping of the water on the
beach in the pleasant weather – by this time the breeze had also calmed down.

Now don't get sand in your pieces!

As we moved off after lunch, most of
us were in shirt sleeves, and by the time we reached Fintry Bay, we were hot
enough to treat ourselves to large cones. We missed the two o’clock ferry by
five minutes but enjoyed sitting at the slipway, chilling out and watching the
incoming ferry fight its way across against a heavy current. We also took note
of the road that disappeared up the hillside to service the hydro scheme that
we had encountered some months previously and assumed by this time that it had
dried out.

We missed the ferry but Rex couldn't wait for the next one!

FRT was taken in the Village Inn at
Fairlie where some of the more interesting locals (Tonto and Wurzil Gummidge)
introduced themselves to us.

A good day out, especially as the
weather continuously improved throughout the day.

P.S. We had originally decided to try
the new Wetherspoon’s in Largs , The Paddle Steamer, but it didn’t open until
the following week.

Wednesday, 22 June 2016

Cumnock
Meet at the car park at Cumnock Swimming Pool at 9.30am. Jimmy will lead us on a walk to Dumfries House and beyond! He does not promise to lead us back though, unless, of course, we are nice to him. Remember, he likes Kit-Kats!

Thursday, 16 June 2016

Five of us met up at Annbank on an
overcast but warm morning for the weel-kent walk to Ayr. Peter, fearing the
worst, donned his waterproofs and kept them on all day!

We took the ‘easy’ route i.e. down
past the bowling club and followed the path to the river and on to Auchincruive.
By this time we were down to shirt sleeves and were soon at the memorial for
coffee. As we reminisced, Davie disclosed that both he and Jimmy had been church
choir boys in their youth. At this point, believe it or not, Jimmy went in to his
piece box and produced a Kit-Kat!! You couldn’t write the script!

Moving on, we took a small diversion,
in that, as we left the road from Oswald’s Bridge and turned left following the
sign for the path to Ayr, we took a path up through the trees, noting, as we
did, BMX jumps, before rejoining the usual track further down. We decided to
cross the river at the stepping stones but, having surveyed the situation, Paul
decided that he would go back up to the road for his crossing.

Carefully does it!

Lunch was enjoyed here before continuing on
the River Ayr Walk down into the town. As we approached UWS we could see a
vision approach us from the opposite direction. Was it a bird? Was it a plane?
No, it was Superman. Well, I exaggerate, it was Gus, who was continuing his
recuperation by stretching his legs today. He said that an hour would do him
and by the time he met up with us he had already walked for twenty-seven minutes,
so, once we had caught up with his news, the six of us walked into Ayr, where
four got the one-fifteen bus back to Annbank. Allan, having left his bus pass
in his car, gratefully accepted a lift back in Gus’s car.

A decent walk in good walking
conditions followed by FRT in the sit-ootery at the Tap o’ the Brae!

Sunday, 12 June 2016

The glorious spell of weather was to
continue but, with the prospects of some thundery showers, weatherproofs had
been packed. Thankfully, they were not needed.

The crossing was done on a flat clam
with the only issue being a misty haze which was to restrict views until
lunchtime.

On the path up to Dun Fionn

On leaving the ferry terminal and
noting good progress being made on the new one, we made our way up the Lamlash
road before turning off left towards Dun Fionn. Looking for the turn-off from
the lane to the hill, a path was noted, and we took it only to realise quickly
that we had chosen the wrong path. If we had followed Holly we would not have
erred. In any case we had only gone about twenty yards before turning back and
rejoining the track. A chap at the farm confirmed that the path we were looking
for was a bit further on and before long we had found it and were on the steady
climb to Dun Fionn. Coffee was called for but Davie Mc said it was only ten
minutes (Davie minutes, mind you, something akin to Jimmy miles) to the trig
point. The advanced guard did indeed make it in ten minutes with the rest a few
minutes behind.

For once Davie Mc is obscured. Is this a first?

Coffee was taken here whilst taking
in the hazy view and considering how lucky we were not to be at our work! Soon
we were joined by four schoolgirls from Kilwinning Academy who were on their Duke
of Edinburgh Award Scheme. As we left them we came across three of their
teachers who were meeting up with the girls on the Dun. One, Garry, was known
to some of us, but we couldn’t remember his second name. Where is Gus when you
need him? (By the way, Gus’s excuse for not turning up did not pass the adjudication
board. It was felt that a couple of hours of recovery should have been plenty
after surgery. He has been sentenced to write out ‘I must not lead my fellow
Ooters into strange curtilages again’. He has to do this using a quill and in
joined up writing).

In half an hour we had gained the
high point of Clauchlands Hill and decided that we would stop here and take in the
views up to Brodick Bay and down to Lamlash Bay and the Holy Isle. There were no
objections to this proposal as it was getting hot, hot, hot, and a leisurely
lunch was much enjoyed.

In the shade of the trees heading for the main road

As we descended towards the main
Brodick/Lamlash road it was noticed that Holly was taking every opportunity for
a lie down in the shade of the trees, not so daft! The trek from this road to
Glencloy using the quarry/timber road was a slog in the afternoon sun with
comments like ‘I don’t remember this part of the walk as being so long’, and so
it was a relief when the burn was reached and we moved into the shade. The
walking was easier now, although we still had some way to go. Leaving the path
we crossed a couple of fields before finding the road down to Auchrannie and
then back along to the Douglas in Brodick for FRT where ten wabbit Ooters
enjoyed that ‘Ice Cold in Alex’ moment. It did become a three pint day, until,
of course, we got on the boat!

Passing Auchrannie

The walk had taken four hours, the
time at the sit-ootery was well-earned, and, all in all, it had been a great
day out.

Thursday, 2 June 2016

Malcolm,
Ian, Paul, Kenny R, Jimmy, Peter, Rex, Robert, Alan, Gus, Davie C, Davie M.Blue
skies greeted the Ooters who turned up at Dunaskin for a walk through the Doon
Valley’s social and industrial past. Shorts were the order of the day.

The
walk began at the Railway Museum and passed by the remains of the impressive Waterside
Iron Works with chimney stacks, an Italianate engine house dated 1847, and the
14-chambered Dunaskin Brick Works.

Leaving the industrial site we crossed the Dunaskin Burn. The old railway bridge is long gone but the
crossing was easy. We were now on the open moor, following the cutting of an old
tramway which transported ironstone to the Works. To the left was a green hill,
imaginatively named Green Hill, and below it were the steep sides of the ravine
through which the upper Dunaskin Burn flowed. According to legend Alpin, King
of Scots was slain here around AD 850 – but not everyone in our group was
convinced.

Corbie
Craigs, the first of our deserted settlements came into view. This was a
settlement of 10 houses, still well preserved, built by the Iron Works around
1850 to help exploit the ironstone in the area. Its development was arrested
because of the bigger ironstone deposits found higher up. Nevertheless it was
inhabited until 1951.

We
joined a metalled road, walked past two long-abandoned vehicles, and made our way
towards Benwhat (more properly Benquhat) Hill.
A modern carved stone informed us we were now at the site of Benwhat village.
Not much remained of the settlement, which was vacated in the early 50s, although the location of the school was clear and
some brickwork from the rows could be made out.
A seat had been provided and we took the opportunity to stop for coffee.
A plastic box contained a booklet about the village, some cuttings and a
visitors’ book. We leafed through the literature whilst Davie M made an entry on
behalf of the Ooters, adding that he had last visited the site of the village
in 1967.

Benwhat Heatherbell with the Ayrshire Junior Cup - 1900

"At the close of the game ...several of the players quarrelled, and a pugilistic display concluded the day's proceedings."

From
the village we ascended Benwhat Hill. A schism meant it was tackled from two
directions, but we met up at the recently restored war memorial commemorating the
fallen of the village in two world wars. The walk to the top was over open
ground with no semblance of a path but it was easy walking. The view from the summit
was spectacular stretching from Arran to Ailsa Craig to the Awfu’ Hand and Mullwharchar,
the Rhinns of Kells, Green Lowther, Tinto and Cairn Table.

Crossing rough terrain we
descended to an old mineral line which linked Benwhat to Lethanhill, our next
objective. Walking was pleasant along the plateau. One old bridge on the line
had been reduced to its wooden cross beams but some hardy souls were undeterred
and stepped across regardless. The sensible ones crossed the burn below the bridge.

Lunch
was called and a grassy bank and a few well-positioned boulders made for a
comfortable break.

Lethanhill
was a village of around 120 houses with a school, pub and other public
buildings. Nature, in the form of a plantation, has taken over although we
could glimpse remains of buildings in the forestry. It was vacated in 1954 with
the inhabitants moving to new council housing in Patna. The school, however,
remained open until 1959 and pupils were bussed up from Patna.

Lethanhill 1952

Lethanhill now

We
visited the war memorial serving both Lethanhill and Burnfoothill (together
known as ‘The Hill’) and a stone proclaiming “1851-1954 Long Live the Hill”.

Burnfoothill
has suffered an even worse fate than Lethanhill. It has been scoured from the
landscape by open cast mining activity. It was good to see work under way
restoring the landscape. Nature will doubtless soon take over.

Your
correspondent was happy to locate the site of Burnfoothill Primrose’s football
ground.

It
was time to drop down into the valley and we opted to descend steeply via the old
Drumgrange incline. A spectacular piece of engineering, this was a double track
railway using a drum and rope system to lower full trucks of ironstone to the
bottom and raise the empty trucks back up to Lethanhill. We followed the line at the foot of the hill
back to our departure point. The last mile in particular was a pleasant walk
along a well maintained path.

The
whole walk took a little under 4 hours – but we saw a lot and it was beautiful
day to be out in the hills.

Refreshments
were taken at the Dalmellington Inn.. Our old friend “Chic” made an appearance
in a wheelchair and he informed us he had suffered a stroke. We wished him well.

Wednesday, 1 June 2016

I will book the Jewel in the Crown for 14 persons + or - 1 or 2 ,for 7 p.m. on the 29 th June. Please let me know if you can not make it on this evening. The reason for the celebration is my 70ieth birthday. After a quick survey today , most people were able to attend ,surprising as the likely chance of people being away on holiday was very high. I am looking forward to a great night out. Cheers